Had I not looked up Royal Sushi and Izakaya in advance, I wouldn't have thought I was at the right place. From the outside, it looked no different than every other brick building on the block. The only hint that it may be the Asian restaurant I was looking for was the red Japanese lantern hanging adjacent to the door.
I walked in and was momentarily blinded. The interior was so dark that it took my eyes a few moments to adjust from the daylight. Once I could take in my surroundings, I noticed some interesting decor: The brick walls were covered in mirrors, the ceiling was plated with tin, the bar and tables were covered with small candles. Intimate or uncomfortable—it’s up to you.
When I opened the menu to peruse the different options, two things stood out to me. The first was that the first four pages of the menu were devoted entirely to different types of sake. Whether you’re a broke college student or just looking for booze or a sake connoisseur, they have something for you. The second was that I needed to channel my inner Dad and take my phone flashlight out to illuminate the pages of the menu.
I asked the waitress for some staple items to try and ended up with four different plates. The Tuna Guac ($8) and Jumbo Shumai ($6.50) were far from what I would call adventurous. The Tuna Guac consisted of a basic avocado mash atop a bed of four small pieces of tuna. Good, but nothing over the top. The Jumbo Shumai was exactly what you’d expect—three jumbo pieces of shrimp shumai. I followed that up with the Nasu Dengaku ($9) and the Spicy Crunchy Tuna roll ($9). The Nasu Dengaku was a slice of Japanese eggplant glazed in the most amazing sweet miso sauce I’d ever tasted (this was by far the best thing they had going for them). The Spicy Crunchy Tuna roll was predictable and comparable to any other Spicy Crunchy Tuna roll.
Overall, it’s still up for debate whether or not Royal Sushi and Izakaya is trying to be more of a restaurant or a bar. Seeing that they only opened about two weeks ago, it’s clear that they are still experimenting with some aspects of the restaurant. Their dishes are solid, while their wide array of sake and 2 a.m. closing time lend themselves nicely to more of a bar. Either way, don’t be fooled by the name. The number of sushi rolls offered on the menu is limited though they offer a number of authentic Japanese whole–fish dishes.
Take Royal Sushi & Izakaya for what it is; whether or not you visit for the sake or the food is up to you. (Ed. Note: If you’re anticipating going to get rowdy with sake, don’t; they don’t even allow sake bombs.)
